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Rent Price Gouging Lawyer


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High winds and dry conditions contributed to some of the most devastating wildfires that Los Angeles County has faced in recent times. The Palisades Fire has burned over 23,000 acres and has destroyed over 5,300 structures; it has also resulted in at least 8 deaths. The Eaton Fire (in the San Gabriel Valley) has burned over 14,000 acres and has destroyed over 7,000 structures; it has also resulted in 16 deaths and multiple firefighter injuries. Both of these fires started on January 7, 2025 and are still active. In addition to these main fires, multiple other fires have appears, some of which have been put out.

Because of these fires, countless evacuation orders were issued. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced due to these evacuations. Although some evacuation orders have been lifted and many have been able to return home, many evacuation orders remain active. Countless people lost their homes.

As a result of the mass displacement in affected areas, people are searching for rentals. Unfortunately, property owners are taking advantage of the sudden surge of demand and are price gouging. Some families will find that they have no choice but to accept whatever price they are presented with to ensure that they have a roof over their head during such a difficult time.

If you and your family were affected by rental price gouging, it is important that you know that you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. For more information about the legal options available to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to our law firm as soon as possible.

The Downtown L.A. Law Group is committed to fighting for the rights of all those affected by recent wildfires. If you were the victim of rental price gouging, you can trust that our experts can provide you with the representation that you need to fight for your rights and be fairly compensated. Contact us today!

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What is Price Gouging?

Price gouging refers to sellers offering products or services trying to take advantage of consumers during an emergency or disaster by significantly increasing prices for essential goods/services. Some of the goods/services that may be subject to gouging could include food, medical supplies, and housing.

Is Price Gouging Illegal?

Yes, in California price gouging is generally illegal. California has an anti-price gouging statute that prohibits raising the price of many consumer goods/services more than 10% after the declaration of an emergency. For goods/services that a seller only started offering after the emergency has been declared, the seller may not charge more than 50% more than what it costs to provide the item/service. These protections are based on Penal Code Section 396.

These price gouging protections apply immediately after a state of emergency is declared. A state of emergency can be declared by the following:

  • The U.S. President
  • The Governor of California
  • A City or County Executive Officer

Protections will generally apply for 30 days after the emergency has been declared, although it is possible for protections to apply for up to 180 days under some circumstances.

Do Price Gouging Protections Apply to Housing?

Yes – price gouging protections apply to all major necessities, with include lodging or housing. This may include hotels, motels, mobile homes, as well as permanent and temporary rental housing. This means that landlords cannot increase the price of their rentals by more than 10% of what they previously charged or advertised. For any rental property that was unoccupied and/or unlisted, rental price cannot exceed 160% of fair market value.

What about rentals like VRBO and AirBnb? For these rental services advertised/rented on a daily basis (with a daily rate), the daily price may not be increased by more than 10% after an emergency has been declared. For rentals that were previously available on a daily basis but offered on a monthly basis or full-time basis after an emergency has been declared, the rental price may not exceed 160% of the fair market value.

What if my landlord says they are increasing rent because they are providing additional services or amenities? Some landlords will make up excuses for the unfair increase in rent. For example, they may suddenly start providing cleaning services, gardening services, or certain utilities, for example. These reasons are not valid. The same applies for shorter lease terms or rental contracts; a landlord cannot charge more than what is allowed simply because of a shorter rental period.

Can my landlord evict me? You technically can be evicted from your rental property. However, the statute makes it a misdemeanor for a landlord to evict a tenant to re-rent the property at a higher rate (a rate that the landlord would have been prohibited from charging the tenant that was evicted). This means that you cannot be evicted just so that the rental can be rented out to someone else at a higher price. If you are evicted for this reason, your eviction would be considered a wrongful eviction and the landlord could face a misdemeanor.

Recent Reports on Price Gouging

Even with protections in place, those affected by the wildfires have already started to experience price gouging related to housing. One Altadena family that lost their home in the Eaton Fire is among those already affected by illegal price gouging. The Skidmore family were able to find refuge at a Pasadena Airbnb after being displaced by the Eaton Fire. Their home was destroyed in the fire, and they lost everything. While they were looking into more long-term housing, they realized that the price for their current Airbnb home went up 43% for the following week. Since California law makes it so landlords/businesses can only increase prices by up to 10%, this significant increase falls under illegal price gouging.

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Filing a Lawsuit for Price Gouging after California Wildfires

If you were subject to price gouging after the recent SoCal wildfires that resulted in the state of emergency being declared by the governor, you could have grounds to file a civil lawsuit. You could file a complaint with the District Attorney’s office or with the Attorney General, for example. However, you could also have grounds to file a civil claim with the help of an experienced attorney.

If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact the Downtown L.A. Law Group as soon as possible. Our team has decades of experience handling claims and protecting the rights of tenants. We understand the impact that the recent wildfires have had on entire communities, and we believe that any landlords looking to take advantage of such an unfortunate situation should be held accountable. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us today. Our wildfire rent gouging attorneys are more than to help you get justice!

Free Case Evaluations: to ensure accessibility, our law firm offers free legal services. These include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all of your concerns. Our rent gouging lawyers will provide you with all the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. Even if you are not looking to file any legal action at this moment, you can reach out for any information. To schedule a free case review, contact us today.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will not be required to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. Since our firm actually works on a strict contingency structure, you will not have to pay any legal expenses if your lawsuit is not successful.

For more information about your right to sue for rent price gouging in LA County after wildfires, contact our lawyers today!


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